Just Back From The Mother Ship

I am just back from the Mother Ship. Apple HQ in Cupertino.

The folks over in the Apple Education Division helped our 21st Century Skills group get its head on straight about the role of technology in a modern education with an Apple Executive Briefing.

No, it wasn't all about tools (as you know, they do sell those.) I would say it is all about how students learn to be productive citizens in their near future and promoting student learning.

How do you get your information? How do you get current information? How do you collaborate? How do you find the next useful idea? How do you create your next big idea? How do you tell the world what you know? How are we going to promote higher levels of thinking? How are we going to promote deeper understanding? How do we do all of this and keep our kids safe?

Can you really say you are doing all of this without technology? Any of this?

Yes, they have solutions for these questions and I am sure they would be happy to take our request for a bid. Yes, they did have a principal talk to us about pulling off a one to one initiative. Don't worry about the hard sell. They really didn't push for a sale at this meeting.

This really is them providing you the opportunity to think about what we are doing. When was the last time anyone did that for you?

I would say that, if you are ever invited to an Apple Executive Briefing, accept.

Thanks Apple.

P.S. No, we didn't get to see the new iPad. I am sure they are really busy getting the launch ready to go. I know what did get to do was way more important. Thanks again Apple.

Seth Godin's Frightened, Clueless and Uninformed Riff

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/02/frightenedcluelessuninformed.html

I think there is something to this Seth Godin post. When I look at change at my school, there really are people in each of these camps: Frightened, Clueless and Uninformed. I am sure there are at least three camps, because I have been in all three at one time or another.

The neat thing about all of these groups is that it is possible to get out of each of them! In some cases it may take a little help, but each of these groups is possible to get out of with a little education and a dash of empathy.

If you are trying to change your school, the Frightened will not help you move to where you want to go. They will be clinging to the safety of the way we have always done it. Don't be surprised if this group completely undermines your plan. I've seen it done.

I am not so sure that any organization that did wholesale top-down decision making ever did well initially. If you remember Moses and those tablets there were some problems. Then there was that part about wandering in the desert afterwards for a long time. Do you think it will go any better for you? Can any organization afford that kind of desert time?

Oh sure, there is the military for a top-down management style, but that group is prepared with lots of training and backed with lots of support and tools. This group is not frightened, it is prepared. That kind of preparation takes time and resources.

The Clueless are easy to get going with you if you can raise their consciousness. It will take some information and some time, but if you need everyone it will be worth it.

Same with the Uninformed. Take the time to inform them.

All three groups are going to require training and time. Teach them.

Google Wave at School part 2

So I got some Google Wave invites and I pass one along to the Gifted Talented/Computer Teacher.

She found a use for her invite almost right away. She is working on movie scripts with her students and it is time to discuss and peer edit them in class. She has her talented kids broken into small groups and is going to use Wave as the medium to discuss and edit.

Of course, there has to be a catch... What is your school student e-mail policy?

You need an address to get invited. We figured out a work around with dummy e-mail accounts where the teacher is the only one with full access/password. Kind of like giving her computers e-mail accounts. Hopefully that will work for her, but it does mean logging in each computer to get at Wave.

The better plan would be to set kids up with their own e-mail accounts. Less login time and a more authentic experience. But that is going to take a change in policy. We don't let kids use their e-mail at school.

I think we can keep kids safer if we teach them about privacy, cyber bullying and proper internet manners if they actually get to use an account. Set them up with an account we (parents and school) can monitor for behavior. Right now, we are so worried about what evil they may do with an account that we choose to completely ban them at school.

It is like worrying about what kids will write with pencil and paper so we ban that stuff too.

The tools aren't the problem. It is the problem behavior that is the problem. We can work on the behaviors. It will just take a little extra effort.

This may be the time to revisit policy.